Switching device



Oct. 30, 1923. 1,472,184

J. B. M NEILL SWITCHING DEVICE Filed Feb. 4, 1918 2 Shets-Sheet 28 28 WITNESSES: 6'92 INVENTOR 7W Jame/mm?! ATTORNEY Oct. 30,1923.

J. B. M NEILL SWITCHING DEVICE Filed Feb. 4, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR John B. fiat/Veil! AT TORNEY Patented Get. 30, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' JOHN B. HABNEILL, OF WILKINSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORYORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCHING DEVICE.

Application filed February 4, 1918. Serial No. 215,880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. MAGNEILL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilkinsbur ,in the county of Allegheny and State of ennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Switching Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to switching devices and particularly to switching devices for controlling the operation of electricallyoperated circuit interrupters.

One object of my invention is to provide a switching device that shall be adapted to so control the circuit of the closing coil of an interrupter that the interrupter shall be rendered fully automatic in its operation and thus non-closable on overload.

Another object of my invention is to provide a switching device, of the above-indicated character, that shall have a single actuating and holding winding and be adapted to widely separate the contact members under predetermined conditions.

A further object of my invention is to provide a switching device, of the aboveindicated character, that shall be simple to construct and readily adaptable to automatic electrically-operated circuit interrupters of standard types.

In carrying out my invention, I rovide an electromagnet, an armature t erefor adapted to actuate co-operating contact members, means actuated by the interrupter for quickly disengaging the contact members and for moving a second armature to such position, withrespect to the electromagnet, that the contact members remain disengaged so long as the eleotromagnet is energized after the interrupter has been closed. By such an arrangement. after the interrupter is once closed, it cannot be reclosed until its controller is moved to its ofi' position. Thus, the interrupter will not pump and, since the closing ("oil is de-energized as soon as the interrupter is closed, it is rendered fully automatic in its operation and, consequently, cannot be held in its closed position when an overload traverses the same.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a diagrammatic view of a circuit interrupter embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a switching device embodying my invention, and Fig. 3 is an end view, partially in elevation and partially in iectioqn, of the switching device shown in 11 electric circuit 1 is provided with an interrupter 2 having a closing coil 3, a trip coil 4, a manually-operated controlling switch 5, a switching device 6 and an overload relay 7. The switch 5 is adapted to so control the switching device 6 that the same renders the circuit interrupter 2 fully automatic in its operation.

The device 6 comprises, in general, a casing 8, an electronr'agnet Winding 9 having a magnetizable core member 10 and pole pieces 11 and 12. An armature 13 is pivotally mounted on a pin 14 and is disposed adjacent the pole piece 12 in order that it may be attracted thereby when the winding of the electromagnet 9 is energized by reason of the operation of the switch 5. A stationary contact member 15 is mounted on a projection 16 on the casing 8 and is adapted to be engaged by a movable contact member 17 that is mounted on a portion of the armature 13. A magnetic blow-out coil 18 and an arc chute 19 are provided for extinguishing any are that may be drawn when the contact members 15 and 17 are separated. A second armature 20 is mounted on the pin 14 and is provided with two projections 21 and 22, the former of which is disposed in an opening 23 in the armature 13 and is adapted to engage the one or the other of the sides of the opening 23, in accordance with the position of the armature 20. A latch 24 is mounted on a pin 25 and is held. in such position, with respect to a portion 26 of the armature 20, by a spring 27 that is connected between the armature 20 and the latch 24, that the armiature 20 is not actuated by the electromagnet 9 under normal conditions.

A rod 28 is carried by a bar 28" (Fig. 1) that pivots on a point 28 and, therefore, moves downwardly when the interrupter 2 is being closed and is surrounded by a spring 29 that bears against the projection 22 on the armature 20. A spring 30 is disposed between the rojection 21 on the armature 20 and a portion 31 of thearmature 13.

The electromagnet winding 9 is so connected to the switch 5 that, when the movable member of the latter is thrown to its circuit-closing position, the armature 13 is attracted to the pole piece 12 of the electromagnct to thereby cause the contact member 17 to engage the contact member 15 and thus complete a circuit through the closin coil 3 of the interrupter 2. When the C01 is energized, it closes the interrupter and, during the closing movement, the rod 28 is moved downwardly to compress the spring 29. After the rod 28 has moved to such position that its lower end engages the latch 24, the latter is disengaged from the portion 26 ot' the armature 20 and the spring 29 expands to force the projection 22 of the armature 2O downwardly and the armature 20 into engagement with the pole pieces 11 and 12. WVhen the projection 21 of the armature 20 is moved in a clockwise direction, by reason of the expansion of the spring 29, it engages one edge of the opening 23 in the armature 13 and thus moves the armature and the contact member 17 to the positions indicated by the dotted lines at 17, in Fi 2 of the drawings. The armature 2O wil be held in this position so long as the electromagnet winding 9 is energized and so long as the circuit interrupter 2 is in its closed position.

If an overload of sufiicient value traverses the circuit 1 to operate the relay 7, the trip coil 4 will be energized, and, since disengagement of the contact members 15 and 17 has de-energized the closing coil 3, the circuit interrupter 2 will be tripped. Therefore, if the switch 5 is still in its circuitclosing position, the armature 20 is held in such position by the electromagnet winding 9 that the contact members 15 and 17 are disengaged and the closing coil 3 is de-energized. When the circuit interrupter is opened, the rod 28 moves upwardly, by reason of pivotal movement about 28, and thus permits the latch 24 to assume such position that, when the electromagnet winding 9 is de-energized, the spring 27 will return the armature 20 to such position that the projection 22 will be latched in its upper position. When the circuit interrupter 2 is opened and the electromagnet winding 9 is tie-energized, the projection 21 of the armature 20 will move in a counter-clockwise direction, by reason of the contraction of the spring 27, to cause the contact member 17 to be moved, by the connecting spring 30, in

a counter-clockwise direction, to the position shown at 17 in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The armature 13 is thus returned to such position that, when the electromagnet winding 9. is again energized, it will be in a position to be readily attracted to efiect engagement of the contact members 15 and 17 It will be understood that, when the contact members 15 and 17 are disengaged, the contact member 17 is moved a relatively great distance from the contact member 15 to thus efi'ectively open the circuit and, when the electromagnet winding 9 is de-energized, after the circuit interrupter is opened, it re turns to a position relatively close to the contact member 15. a

If the control switch 5 is moved to its open position when the interrupter 2 is in its closed position, the electromagnet winding 9 will be de-energized, but, since the spring 29 is of'greater strength than the spring 27, the armature 20 and, consequently, the annature 13 and the contact member 17, remain in extreme open positions until the circuit interrupter is either tripped by reason of an overload traversing the circuit 1 or by reason of the switch 5 being moved to its tripping position.

By the use of my invention, the closing coil of the interrupter is de-energized as soon as the interrupter is closed and cannot be re-energized until. the control switch is moved first to its off position and then to its closing position. Thus, irrespective of Whetheror not the circuit interrupter is tripped upon being closed, it cannot be reclosed until the control handle is moved to its off position, thereby precluding any pumping action by the interrupter. Since the electromagnet winding 9 serves the double purpose of actuating the contact members and holding the same in their positions, and, since the armature 13 of the electromagnet is moved relatively close to the pole piece of the electromagnet by the operation of the interrupter, only a relatively small electromagnet need be used, and thus the losses in the device may be relatively small.

My invention is not limited to the spe- "cific devices illustrated, as it may be variously modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A switching device for a circuit interrupter comprising an electromagnet, two relatively movable armatures therefor, a stationary contact member, a co-operating movable contact member operatively con nected to one armature, means actuated by the circuit interrupter for moving the other armature to its operative position and means for operatively connecting the armatures together.

2. A switching device for a circuit interrupter comprising an electromagnet, stationary and movable contact members, an armature for the electromagnet adapted to effect engagement of the contact members, a second armature for the electromagnet, means actuated by the circuit interrupter for moving the second armature to its operative position with respect to the electromagnet. and a resilient connection between the said armatures.

3. In a switching device, the combination with co-operating contact members and an electromagnet, of means for closing the contact members when the electromagnet is energized, means for disengaging the contact members, and means for holding the contact members in their open position after 7 being disengaged until the electromagnet IS deenergized.

4. The combination with a circuit interrupter and a closing coil therefor, of a switch for the closing coil comprising an electromagnet, contact members, an armature for closing the contact members when the elec troniagnet is energized, means actuated by the circuit interrupter for opening the contact members of the switch, and a second armature for holding the contact members in their open position while the interrupter is closed.

5. The combination with a circuit interrupter and a closing coil therefor, of a switch for the closing coil, means for electrically closing the switch, means actuated by the closing operation of the interrupter for opening the switch, and means for holding the switch open so long as the interrupter is closed.

6. A switching device for a circuit interrupter comprising an electromagnet, co-opcrating contact members, an armature for closing the contact members, means actuated by the closing of the interrupter for opening the contact members and means for holding the contact members open so long as the circuit interrupter is closed and the electromagnet is energized.

7. A switching device for a circuit interrupter comprising an electromagnet, co-opcrating contact members, an armature for closing the coi'itact members, means actuated by the closing of the interrupter for quickly disengaging the contact members and for holding the same open so long as the interrupter is closed and a second armature for holding the contact members open so long as the electromagnet is energized.

8. A switching device for a circuit interrupter comprising an electromagnet, a stationary contact member, a movable contact member, an armature for actuating the movable contact member, a spring adapted to-be tensioned during the closing of the interrupter, for quickly disengaging the contact members, and a second armature adapted to be moved to its operative position by the expansion of the spring for holding the contact members in their open position so long as the electromagnet is energized.

9. A switching device for a circuit interrupter comprising an electrically-operated switch, means actuated by the closing of the interrupter for opening the switch and means for holding the switch in its open potion while the interrupter is closed and the operating mechanism of the switch is energized.

10. A switching device for a circuit interrupter comprising an electrically-operated switch, means actuated by the closing of the interrupter for quickly opening the switch and for holding it open so long as the interrupter is closed and means for holding the switch open so long as the operating mechanism of the switch is energized.

11. The combination with a circuit interrupter, a closing coil and a tripping coil therefor, of means comprising a manuallyoperable switch for so controlling the circuit of the closing coil as to prevent a second closure of the circuit interrupter following an opening thereof by said tripping means while said manually-operable switch remains in its operating position for the initial closure of said circuit interrupter.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day of Jan.

JOHN B. MAoNEILL. 

